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Executive Director’s Report
This past year has proven to be a year of change, renewal
and revitalization for the Peterborough Social Planning Council.
We have been very busy with the completion of a number of
research projects, a move to Simcoe Street and the orientation
of new staff, including myself, who joined the PSPC team in
late November of 2005.
We continue to enhance our community partnerships and facilitate
community service initiatives to address unmet community needs.
In response to our strategic directions as outlined in our
Strategic Plan we have focused our attention on the following
priorities.
Access to Health Services: Medical and Dental; Affordable
Housing and Homelessness; Employment and Income Security.
It continues to be both a privilege and pleasure to work
together with staff, board and agency volunteers and I would
like to thank them for their dedication, time, and expertise
to social justice in our community.
I would like to also thank former employees, Margaret McCutcheon,
Leni Rautiainen and Enrique Robert; for their contribution
to the agency.
Our Work
 The
following outlines our main areas of focus: Social research
& systems planning, social policy analysis & development,
community development, community partnerships and collaborations,
convening & facilitating, community awareness & public
education, and advocacy and social action.
Social Research
Undertake independent research on social trends, needs and
issues relevant to a variety of constituencies in their communities.
Community Development
Facilitate and support positive change in partnership with
community groups and individuals.
Systems Planning
Ranges from definition of service needs to coordination and
evaluation of program and service delivery.
Community Partnerships & Collaboration
Community focal point for mobilizing those groups most affected
by issues into working and problem solving partnerships, information
networks and action coalitions.
Policy Analysis & Development
 Access
to both professional and voluntary expertise on a wide range
of social, economic and cultural issues enables us to provide
sophisticated policy analysis and research-based proposals
to public policy-makers at the local, provincial and federal
levels.
I am excited to be part of this team to continue our work
in building community capacity through research, community
development, and public education.
Convening & Facilitating
Provide a non-threatening "meeting place" for discussion
and resolution of difficult community issues. Facilitate the
building of community consensus on issues and/or shared actions.
Community Awareness & Education
Promote broader and deeper community understanding on social
development issues, which affect certain groups or the general
quality of community life.
Advocacy & Social Action
Serve as a catalyst for change.
Social Research
Our main publication, the Peterborough Profile continues
to be used as a source of information for community based
organizations, students, local governments, and planning departments
for the accurate information about the community in which
we live.
We are in the third year of the Community Social Data Consortium
(CSDC) which consists of a group of social service agencies
and local government services that share data and information
to implement planning.
In partnership with the Workforce Development Board this
year, we engaged in two research projects (1) Service Needs
of Seniors in the City of Kawartha Lakes and (2) Community
Consultation with Consumers of Services for Persons with Disabilities
in Peterborough. The Project was completed in March of 2006.
In partnership with the Urban Aboriginal Strategy Circle
we completed a review and researched the needs of the urban
Aboriginal people in the City under the project named “Don’t
Tell Me What I Need, Ask Me”.
Public Education
The federal election was called this year so we partnered
with the Peterborough Community Legal Centre, Peterborough
Coalition for Social Justice, Older Women’s Network,
Peterborough Women’s Events Committee, Ontario Public
Interest Research Group, Trent Central Student Association,
Peterborough ODSP Action Coalition, and the Peterborough Health
Coalition to sponsor an all candidates meeting on social issues.
Over the year we presented at Trent University, community
groups, and County Council.
Social Policy Analysis / Advocacy
The Social Planning Council continues to be an active participant
and resource to the Peterborough Community Social Plan (PCSP).
Community Development and Community
Partnership
 We
are pleased to be a partner with the following grass root
groups:
- Peaceful Communities Steering Committee that involves
promoting innovation and public awareness to engage the
community in reducing violence.
- Food For Kids Steering Committee supports healthy nutritious
foods for children in schools.
- The Ontario Disability Support Plan (ODSP) Action Group
which supports the Walk Wheel and Ride for Dignity an awareness
initiative that informs the public that social support and
minimum wage are less than sufficient to have a dignified
existence.
- The Peterborough Coalition for Dental Health Care has
a broad representation of citizens and agencies concerned
with the health care of society and how dental care directly
affects the overall health and wellbeing of a person.
- The Urban Aboriginal Strategy Circle is an initiative
to build capacity within the Aboriginal community. The Social
Planning Council is a member of this initiative and is part
of the discussion circle.
Our staff team looks forward to the coming year and working
together to build a healthy community.
Brenda Dales
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Annual
Report 2005 - 2006
Personnel